Vacation Rental and Hosted Rental

Permit Information

Vacation Rentals (Unincorporated Areas)

Vacation rentals are the rental of a private residence for periods of 30 days or less. Vacation Rentals do not include Bed and Breakfast Inns or hosted rentals permitted in accordance with the Sonoma County Code for B&Bs and hosted rentals or occasional home exchanges that are not otherwise subject to Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT). Vacation rentals must have a Certified Vacation Property Manager and meet Performance Standards to ensure compatibility with surrounding residential uses.

Coastal Zone: The owners of Coastal Zone vacation rentals must register to pay Transient Occupancy Tax.



Current Sonoma County Vacation Rental Ordinances

Current ordinances related to vacation rentals in unincorporated Sonoma County.

Vacation Rental Ordinance - Ordinance No. 6423 - Adopted April 24, 2023.

Created a Vacation Rental Business License and put caps on the number of vacation rentals in some areas.

Vacation Rental Ordinance - Ordinance No. 6386 - Adopted August 22, 2022.

Changes relocate vacation rentals regulations to a new section of the County Code.

Vacation Rental Ordinance Signed Final Resolution

Vacation Rental Ordinance Signed Final Summary Report Packet

When do the new Vacation Rental Ordinances changes go into effect?

• Vacation Rental Licenses: Updates to Chapter 4, Article VIII of the County Code will establish a new Vacation Rental Business License program, which requires all vacation rentals to obtain a business license and comply with certain operational standards. This ordinance will be effective June 16, 2023.
  
  
• Vacation Rental Caps and Exclusion Areas: The Board of Supervisors adopted new Vacation Rental cap areas of 5% or 10% in specific areas of the unincorporated county to prevent overconcentration of Vacation Rentals. The Board also prohibited all vacation rentals where new “X Combining Zones” were applied. These changes go into effect on May 24, 2023.

For more information, please review the Vacation Rental map viewer

You may also review Ordinance Number 6423 adopted by the Board of Supervisors on April 24, 2023.

For more information visit the Sonoma County Vacation Rental Permit page.

For more Questions visit Sonoma County's Frequently Asked Questions Page

Sonoma County Hosted Rentals (Unincorporated Areas)

Hosted rentals are the rental of a single room or sleeping area within a single-family dwelling, where the property owner remains in residence. Hosted rentals do not include vacation rentals permitted in accordance with the Sonoma County Code for vacation rentals, or occasional home exchanges that are not otherwise subject to Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT). Hosted rentals must meet Performance Standards (below) to ensure compatibility with surrounding residential uses.

Only one hosted rental per property is allowed per parcel, and a whole-house vacation rental is not a hosted rental, even if the property owner resides in another dwelling unit on the same property.

For more information visit the Sonoma County Hosted Rental Permit page.

Santa Rosa Vacation Rental and Hosted Rental Ordinances

The City's Short-Term Rentals Ordinance requires all short-term rental operators within City limits to obtain a Short-Term Rental Permit and follow specific operating standards and requirements. A short-term rental is a dwelling unit, or any portion thereof, utilized for residing, lodging, sleeping, or other occupancy purposes for less than 30 days. 

For more information visit the City of Santa Rosa Vacation Rental page.